Floor tool

ABSTRACT

A floor tool for use in vacuum cleaning floor surfaces includes a sole plate that engages with a floor surface, a supporting body for the sole plate having at least one wheel or roller configured with respect to the supporting body so as to permit the body to ride along the floor surface, and an outlet conduit for coupling to a wand of a vacuum cleaner. The outlet conduit is pivotally mounted to the supporting body about an axis which is substantially over the sole plate.

This application is the national stage under 35 USC 271 of InternationalApplication No. PCT/GB02/04844, filed Oct. 25, 2002, which claims thepriority of United Kingdom Application Nos. 0126494.4 and 020962.3,filed Nov. 3, 2001, and Apr. 27, 2002, respectively, the entire contentsof which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a floor tool for use with a vacum cleaner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cylinder or canister vacuum cleaners, as shown in FIG. 1, generallycomprise a main body 10 which contains separating apparatus 11 such as acyclonic separator or a bag for separating dirt and dust from anincoming dirty airflow. The dirty airflow is introduced to the main body10 via a hose 15 and wand 16 assembly which is connected to the mainbody 10. The main body 10 of the cleaner is dragged along by the hose asa user moves around a room. A cleaning tool is attached to the remoteend of the hose and wand assembly. A range of cleaning tools are usuallysupplied so that a user can choose an appropriate tool for theircleaning task, such as a crevice tool and a brush tool. For generalon-the-floor cleaning the vacuum cleaner is provided with a floor tool20.

FIG. 2 shows a known floor tool of the type manufactured and sold byDyson Limited. The floor tool 20 comprises a lower face 150, commonlyknown as a sole plate, which engages with a floor surface. The soleplate 150 defines a suction channel 155 which faces the floor surfaceand serves, in use, to expose the floor surface to a suction force whichis sufficient to carry dirt and debris from the surface. The tool 20also comprises an outlet connector 101, 102 which fits to the wand 16(FIG. 1) and a short connecting duct 120 for carrying airflow from thesole plate 150 to the outlet connector 101, 102. One end of theconnecting duct 120 is pivotally mounted to the sole plate about axis105 and the other end of the connecting duct is pivotally mounted to theoutlet connector 101 about axis 115. The connecting duct 120 has a pairof floor engaging wheels 90 mounted on it. In use, this arrangementtranslates a user's pushing and pulling movement of the wand to agliding movement of the sole plate 150 over the floor surface. However,it has been found that the manner in which some users operate the wandcan cause the sole plate 150 of the tool 20 to lift off of the floorsurface. This has a detrimental effect on the pick-up performance of thefloor tool 20.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, the present invention seeks to provide an improved floor tool.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a floor tool for use invacuum cleaning floor surfaces comprising a sole plate for engaging witha floor surface, a supporting body for the sole plate having means forallowing the body to ride along the floor surface, and an outlet conduitfor coupling to a wand of a vacuum cleaner, wherein the outlet conduitis pivotally mounted to the supporting body about an axis which issubstantially over the sole plate.

This has the advantage that the floor tool is less prone to lifting, or‘pealing’, from a floor surface as a user manipulates the tool,particularly during a backwards stroke. We have found that this improvedcontact with a floor surface can increase the pick-up performance of thetool.

Preferably, the sole plate is pivotally mounted to the supporting body,and the outlet conduit is pivotally mounted to the supporting body aboutan axis which is substantially coincident with the pivotal axis of thesole plate.

The pivotal mounting of the sole plate causes the tool, in use, torotate forwardly or backwardly. This can be used to bring a working edgeof the sole plate into contact with the floor surface so as to agitatethe floor surface.

Preferably the sole plate is pivotally mounted to the housing at aposition which lies above a suction channel of the sole plate as thismaximises the agitating effect of the working edges.

The floor tool can be used with cylinder, upright and other types ofvacuum cleaning appliances.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a known vacuum cleaner and floor tool in accordance withthe prior art;

FIG. 2 shows the floor tool of FIG. 1 in more detail;

FIG. 3 shows, in schematic form, a floor tool in accordance with anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 shows, in schematic form, an alternative embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 5 shows the embodiment of FIG. 4 in more detail;

FIG. 6 shows the tool of FIG. 5 from the rear;

FIG. 7 is a cross section through the floor tool shown in FIGS. 5 and 6with the sole plate in a lowered position;

FIG. 8 shows the lower face of the floor tool of FIGS. 5-7;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are further cross sections through the floor tool ofFIGS. 5-8 with the tool in alternative configurations;

FIGS. 11 and 12 show, in schematic form, the action of the sole plate;

FIG. 13 shows the forces on a conventional floor tool;

FIG. 14 shows the forces on a floor tool in which the push/pull force isapplied close to the sole plate;

FIG. 15 shows in detail, the passage of debris into the floor toolduring a hard floor mode of cleaning operation;

FIG. 16 shows a map of the pressures within a floor tool of the typeshown in FIG. 15;

FIGS. 17A and 17B show the effect of using the floor tool on a floorsurface having a crevice;

FIGS. 18-20 show a modification to the floor tool which allows a user tocontrol the flow of air into the floor tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 3 shows, in simplified form, the components of a floor tool inaccordance with a first embodiment of the invention. The main componentsof the tool 200 are a main chassis 210, a sole plate 250, a wandconnector 240 for connecting to a wand or hose of a vacuum cleaner, aconnecting arm 230 which connects the chassis 210 to the wand connector240 and a hose 235 for carrying airflow from the sole plate 250 to thewand connector 240. The sole plate defines an air inlet 255 which, inuse, faces the floor surface and extends transversely across the fullwidth of the tool. The chassis 210 is provided with wheels 221 to allowit to move across a floor surface. The wand connector 240 is dimensionedso as to mate with a wand (i.e. a pipe or a set of telescopic pipes) ofa vacuum cleaner. The wand connector 240 is connected to the chassis 210by a connecting arm 230. A first end of the connecting arm 230 ispivotally connected to the wand connector 240 by a joint 231. The otherend of the connecting arm 230 is pivotally connected, by joint 232, tothe chassis 210. Connecting arm 230 provides a mechanical connectionbetween the wand connector 240 and chassis 210 and thus it serves totransmit the force exerted by a user on the wand to the chassis 210. Theconnecting arm 230 can be formed as an airflow conduit for carryingairflow from the sole plate 250 to the wand connector 240. In this case,joints 231, 232 are articulated, airtight, joints which maintain anairtight seal between the connecting arm conduit 230 and the outlet ofthe sole plate 250 and the inlet of the wand connector 240 as theseparts move with respect to one another. Alternatively, as is shown inFIG. 3, the airflow between the sole plate 250 and wand connector 240can be carried by a flexible conduit 235 which is separate from theconnecting arm 230. The use of a flexible conduit to carry the airflowallows a more reliable seal to be formed between the wand connector 240and the connecting arm 230 which will remain airtight over a range ofrelative positions of the two parts. Thus, this solution can be cheaperand more reliable.

The provision of a pivotable joint 231, 232 at each end of theconnecting arm 230 allows the wand connector 240, and the wand or hosefitted to the wand connector 240, to be moved through a wide range ofoperating positions with respect to the chassis 210. Furthermore, thechassis 210 and hence the sole plate 250 remain in a stable positionthroughout the range of operating positions.

It is preferable that sole plate 250 is pivotally connected to thechassis 210 and that the axis about which the sole plate 250 pivots iscoincident with the axis 232 about which the connecting arm 230 pivotsabout the chassis 210. Also, it is preferable for the sole plate to bepivotally connected at a position which lies directly above the centreof the suction channel 255. The connection between the sole plate 250and the chassis 110 allows a limited degree of movement between theseparts. This is achieved by mounting stops on the chassis 210 at eachpermitted extent of the path of the sole plate.

It is common for a floor tool to be operable in both a carpet cleaningmode, where the sole plate rides along the floor surface, and a hardfloor cleaning mode where a flexible skirt of some kind is brought intocontact with the floor surface and the sole plate is spaced from thehard floor surface. The tool shown in FIG. 3 can be provided with askirt 270 (shown in broken lines) which surrounds the sole plate 250 andwhich is movable from the raised position shown in FIG. 3 to a loweredposition where it lies beneath the sole plate 250.

An alternative to moving the skirt 270 is for the skirt 270 to remainfixed and to raise or lower the sole plate 250 itself. The tool which isshown in detail in FIGS. 5-10 has a movable sole plate 250 of this kind.Before describing this tool in detail, FIG. 4 shows the main componentsof the tool. Many of the components are the same as for the tool justdescribed with reference to FIG. 3. The differences are in the mechanismwhich links the connecting arm 230 to the chassis 210. In FIG. 3 theconnecting arm 230 pivots directly about the chassis 210 whereas in FIG.4 connecting arm 230 is linked to the chassis 210 via two intermediatearms 234 a, 234 b. In carpet floor mode the sole plate 250 engages withthe floor surface. Sole plate 250 is free to pivot directly about theconnecting arm 230. In hard cleaning mode the sole plate is raised androtated into a cavity within the chassis 210. It will be appreciatedthat the two intermediate arms 234 a, 234 b simply link the connectingarm 230 to the chassis 210 in a manner that allows the sole plate 250 tobe lowered or raised. In the configuration shown in FIG. 4 the twointermediate arms 234 a, 234 b are locked in position and do not move.Similarly, in the configuration where the sole plate is raised, theintermediate arms are locked in a different position. In bothconfigurations the connecting arm 230 effectively pivots about thechassis 210.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-10, these show a preferred embodiment of thefloor tool in detail. As before, the main components of the tool 200 area main chassis 210, a sole plate 250, a wand connector 240 forconnecting to a wand or hose of a vacuum cleaner and a connecting arm230 and a hose 235 for connecting the wand connector 240 to the chassis210. When viewed from the rear, parallel to the floor, the chassis 210has a generally u-shaped channel which is sufficiently wide to receivethe connecting arm 230. This permits the connecting arm 230, in use, tolie within the channel, as best shown in FIG. 6. The connecting arm mayadopt this lowered position during a forward stroke or when a user ismanoeuvering the tool beneath an obstacle and wants to minimise theheight of the tool. FIG. 6 shows the floor tool from the rear, with themovable parts, i.e. the connecting arm 230 and wand connector 240, shownwith diagonal shading. The connecting arm 230 is shorter than thechassis so that it does not protrude beyond the back of the chassis whenthe connecting arm is brought to its lowest position.

The chassis 210 is provided with wheels 221 which allow the chassis 210to move across the surface of a floor. A short axle 222 is secured to,and extends outwardly from each side of, a side wall on the rearwardpart of the chassis 210. A wheel 221, 223 is rotatably secured on eachof the axles 222 so as to allow movement of the tool across a floorsurface. It will be appreciated that the two short axles 222 could bereplaced by a single axle which extends across the full width of thechassis, the wheels could be replaced by rollers, by skids on the lowersurface of the tool, or by some other means for allowing the floor toolto move across the surface of a floor. The chassis is provided withmeans for limiting the vertical movement of the connecting arm 230beyond a predetermined point. In this embodiment, each side wall at therear of the chassis 210 is capped by a flange 246 which extends inwardlyinto the channel and each side of the connecting arm 230 has anoutwardly projecting peg 248. The connecting arm 230 is free to movewithin a predetermined vertical range. At the uppermost extent of thevertical range the peg 248 on the connecting arm 230 hits, and isarrested by, the flange 246 as is best shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. It willbe appreciated that this function of limiting the vertical movement ofthe connecting arm 230 could be achieved in other ways. For example, theside walls can have an inwardly projecting peg which locates within aslot on the connecting arm 230. FIG. 10 shows how cushioning material249, such as foam padding, can be provided on the base of the chassis atthe position beneath where the connecting arm will lie so as to minimisedamage and noise when the connecting arm 230 is lowered against thechassis 210.

A wand connector 240 is located at the rear of the tool. The wandconnector 240 is dimensioned so as to mate with a wand (16, FIG. 1) of avacuum cleaner. The wand connector 240 is formed as two pipes 243, 244which are jointed in a manner which permits rotational movement aboutthe longitudinal axis of the pipes. The wand connector 240 has a castorwheel 245 mounted on its underside so as to minimise damage to a floorsurface when the wand connector is moved into a fully lowered position.A release mechanism for the wand comprises a manually operable button241 which is connected to a catch 242. Other connecting schemes could beused, such as a simple interference fit between the respective sleevesof the wand connector 240 and the wand. The wand connector 240 isconnected to the chassis 210 by a connecting assembly 230, 234. Theconnecting assembly comprises a connecting arm 230 and intermediate arms234 a, 234 b. A first end of the connecting arm 230 is pivotallyconnected to the wand connector 240 by a joint 231. The other end of theconnecting arm 230 is pivotally connected, by joint 232, to a firstintermediate arm 234 a. The other end of the intermediate arm 234 acarries a peg which is constrained to slide within a slot formed on theinner wall of a first end of the second intermediate arm 234 b.Intermediate arm 234 a is also pivotally connected to the chassis 210.The other end of intermediate arm 234 b is pivotally connected to theupper face of the chassis 210. A flexible hose, shown as broken line235, connects the wand connector 240 directly to the sole plate 250. Afirst end of the hose 235 is sealed in an airtight manner against thesuction outlet of the sole plate and the second end is sealed in anairtight manner against the wand connector 240. The provision of apivotable joint 231, 232 at each end of the connecting arm 230 allowsthe wand connector 240, and the wand or hose fitted to the wandconnector 240, to be moved through a wide range of positions withrespect to the chassis 210. Furthermore, the chassis 210 remains in astable position throughout the range of positions. Conveying the airflowbetween the sole plate 250 and wand connector 240 by a flexible hose 235which is separate from the connecting arm 230 permits an even greaterdegree of freedom of movement of the wand connected to the tool. Thearrangement of intermediate arms 234 a, 234 b between the connecting arm230 and chassis 210 is required in order to allow the sole plate 250 tomove between a working position and a retracted position, as will bedescribed later. In a simpler tool, such as the one shown previously inFIG. 2, the sole plate 250, chassis 210 and connecting arm 230 can allshare the same pivot shaft, such that the sole plate pivots about thechassis 210 and the connecting arm 230 can pivot freely about the soleplate 250 and chassis 210.

The manoeuvrability of the tool is best illustrated by FIGS. 7, 9 and10. In FIG. 7 the connecting arm 230 and wand connector 240 are lyingclose to the floor, with the connecting arm 230 lying within theu-shaped channel of the chassis 210. The tool will adopt thisconfiguration as a user pushes the tool forwardly or when a user wishesto manoeuvre the tool beneath a low-lying object. In contrast, FIGS. 9and 10 show the connecting arm 230 and wand connector 240 in a raisedposition. The floor tool will usually adopt this position when a userdrags the tool rearwardly. The connecting arm 230 has reached itshighest position, with peg 248 pressing against flange 246. In FIG. 10the wand connector has swivelled about pivot point 231 into an almostupright position. In each of these configurations, the floor tool willremain in contact with the surface.

A sole plate 250 is pivotally mounted to the connecting arm 230 andfirst intermediate arm 234 a of the connecting assembly towards thefront of the chassis. Two flanges 280 extend upwardly from the upperface of the sole plate 250. An aperture in each flange 280 is rotatablyheld by a peg 233 on each side of the intermediate arm 234 a. The soleplate 250 is free to rotate, within a limited angular range, about thearm 234 a. The axis of the joint between the connecting arm 230 andintermediate arm 234 is coincident with the axis of the joint betweenthe intermediate arm 234 and the sole plate 250 such that force appliedby a user to the wand connector and hence the connecting arm 230, istransmitted directly to the sole plate 250.

The sole plate 250 of the tool will now be described in more detail. Thefloor tool 200 can be used in a carpet cleaning mode, where the soleplate 250 engages with, and rides along, the floor, or in a ‘hard floor’mode where a flexible skirt 270 rides along the floor surface and thesole plate is spaced from the floor.

FIGS. 7 and 10 show the sole plate 250 deployed in a carpet cleaningmode. The sole plate 250 is shown in profile in FIG. 7 and the lower,plan view of the sole plate is shown in FIG. 8. The sole plate 250 has acentrally mounted air inlet 256. Two suction channels 255 extendtransversely across the tool from each side of the inlet 256. Eachchannel 255 terminates in a bleed air inlet on the side of the soleplate. The lower face of the sole plate has two spaced apart sharplydefined edges 252, 253 which will be called working edges. The forwardworking edge 252 is defined by the intersection between the inner wallof the suction channel and a planar surface 254 a on the lower face ofthe sole plate. Similarly, the rear working edge 253 is defined by theintersection between the inner wall of the suction channel and a planarsurface 254 b on the lower face of the sole plate. The working edges252, 253 are sharply defined, as shown in FIG. 7, so as to provide aneffective agitating action when the floor tool is used on carpetedsurfaces. This agitating effect is further enhanced by the pivotalconnection between the sole plate 250 and connection member 230. A smallradius of curvature has been found to be provide an effective agitatingaction on floor surfaces. The working edges 252, 253 extend across thefull width of the floor tool. Lint pickers 258, 259 are positioned onthe planar surfaces 254 a, 254 b and are spaced front the working edges252, 253 so that the working edges can perform an agitating action oncarpeted surfaces across their full width. Each of the lint pickers 258,259 is of a conventional type, comprising a strip of material in which aplurality of tufts of fine fibre are secured. Each lint picker 258, 259is secured on an arcuately-shaped support that extends outwardly fromthe planar surface 254 a, 254 b on which it is located. The spacing ofthe lint pickers 258, 259 from the adjacent working edge 252, 253 can bevaried from the spacing as shown in the drawings. The use of lintpickers causes an increase in the force that a user requires to push orpull the floor tool across a floor surface. It would be possible toincrease the width of the lint pickers 258, 259 to the full width of thefloor tool although this would incur an increase in the push forcerequired by a user.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show how the sole plate 250 of the floor tool 200operates in use. Firstly, FIG. 11 shows the sole plate 250 as it ispushed forwardly across a floor surface. As the tool is pushedforwardly, the sole plate 250 rotates about pivot 247, bringing theforward working edge 252 into closer contact with the floor surface thanthe rear working edge 253. The sharp edge 252 has an effective agitatingeffect on the surface, parting the pile of the surface and releasingdirt in a flicking action. As dirt is released, it is swept along thesuction channel 254, 255 by the airflow in the suction channel towardssuction inlet 256. Also, forward lint picker 258 is brought into contactwith the floor surface. In its lowered position, the forward lint picker258 allows lint to pass. The rear lint picker 259 remains close enoughto the surface to serve a useful blocking action on lint.

FIG. 12 shows the floor tool 200 as it is pushed rearwardly across afloor surface. As the tool is pushed rearwardly, the sole plate 250rotates about pivot 247 bringing the rear working edge 253 into closercontact with the floor surface than the forward working edge 252. Thesharp edge 253 has the same effect as forward edge 252 did during theforward action, i.e. it agitates the surface, parting the pile of thesurface and releasing dirt in a flicking action. Dirt is swept along thesuction channel 254, 255 by the airflow in the suction channel towardssuction inlet 256. Rear lint picker 259 is brought into contact with thefloor surface and allows lint to pass. The forward lint picker 258,while raised higher than it would be during the forward action, remainsclose enough to the surface to block the passage of lint. It can be seenthat once the floor tool has passed over lint, the lint becomes trappedbetween the lint pickers and is prised from the surface.

The effect of driving the floor tool from a position close to the soleplate is illustrated by FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. 13 shows a conventionalfloor tool, with a chassis 410, wheels 420 and sole plate 450. A userapplies a push/pull force F_(v) to the tool at point A. F_(s) representsthe suction force exerted on the floor surface by the air being drawninto the sole plate. During a backwards stroke, the forces (moment)about point C are:M _(c) =l ₁ .F _(s) −l ₂ .F _(v) sin θ

Thus, for the sole plate to remain on the floor surface:l ₁ .F _(s) ≧l ₂ .F _(v) sin θ

Point C represents the point about which the floor tool will be leveredfrom the floor surface when a force is applied in the vertical directionduring a backwards stroke.

In contrast, FIG. 14 shows a floor tool in accordance with an embodimentof the invention with a chassis 410, wheels 420 and sole plate 450 andwhere a user applies a push/pull force F_(v) to the tool at point E. Asbefore, F_(s) represents the suction force exerted on the floor surfaceby the air being drawn into the sole plate. During a backwards stroke,for the sole plate to remain on the floor surface:F _(s) ≧F _(v) sin θ

This is a significantly simpler requirement than that in FIG. 13. Bybringing the outlet connector above the sole plate, the levering effectof the outlet connector is greatly reduced. FIG. 14 shows the idealarrangement where the point at which the push/pull force is applied tothe chassis, point B, is directly above the sole plate. As the point atwhich the push/pull force is applied to the chassis moves away from thesole plate, i.e. rightwards in FIG. 14, there is an increased risk thatthe floor tool will be ‘pealed’ away from the floor surface during abackwards stroke since there is now a levering action on the tool.Although it is preferred that the sole plate is pivotally mounted to thechassis, the sole plate can be fixed with respect to the chassis 410 andstill benefit from a reduced risk of ‘pealing’ with the push/pull forcebeing applied in the manner shown here.

As described previously, in a hard floor cleaning mode the sole plate250 is spaced away from the floor surface. In the embodiment shown inFIGS. 8, 9 and 15 this is achieved by retracting the sole plate 250within the chassis such that only skirt 270 rests against the floorsurface. The skirt is formed as a dense curtain of fibres, such as Nylonfibres, which are secured, such as by crimping, to the sole plate 250.The sole plate 250 is retractable into the position shown in FIG. 9,with the lower surface of the sole plate being inclined with respect tothe plane of the suction opening. Skirt 270 forms a continuous curtainaround the suction opening and serves to maintain a region of lowpressure adjacent the floor surface. A bumper 265 on the forward edge ofthe chassis 210 defines a suction channel 260 which is directeddownwardly towards the floor surface and extends across the full widthof the tool. The bumper 265 is sufficiently spaced above the lowermostextent of the skirt (see C, FIG. 15) such that large debris 269 can passbeneath the bumper where it will lie beneath suction channel 260.Suction channel 260 communicates with the suction chamber within thechassis 210 via a conduit 262 into the main suction space within thechassis 210. The sole plate 250 is inclined in a direction such thatairflow from channel 260 can easily flow around the lower surface of thesole plate 250 and then along the suction channels 254, 255 towards thesuction inlet 256. Thus, airflow from channel 260 combines with airflowthat is drawn beneath the skirt 270. FIG. 15 shows the path taken by airand debris when the floor tool is used in hard floor cleaning mode.

FIG. 16 is a cross section through the floor tool, showing anapproximate map of pressures existing within the tool, the densershading indicating the lower pressure regions. FIGS. 17A and 17B showthe effect of using the floor tool on a surface. These figures show aplan view of the floor tool, moving in direction X across a floorsurface. A region of low pressure is maintained within the skirtedregion of the tool, adjacent the floor surface. Thus, any dust lyingwithin this region will be carried towards the suction inlet 256. Asteady flow of air enters the tool via the suction inlet 260. This flowof air helps to maintain good separation efficiency within theseparation system (11, FIG. 1) of the vacuum cleaner and is particularlyimportant with a cyclonic separation system, such as one that uses abank of parallel cyclonic separators. The flow of air through channel260, and the spacing of the channel 260 from the floor surface helps topick up any large debris from the floor surface. This debris wouldotherwise be pushed along the floor by the skirt 270. The continuousskirt 270 maintains a region of low pressure within the tool. This alsohelps to provide good pick-up from crevices 300 on the floor surface. Asshown in FIG. 17B, as the tool moves across a crevice, the region of lowpressure within the tool is connected to a region of ambient pressureoutside the tool via the crevice 300. Thus, air flows from outside thetool, through the crevice 300, to the region of low pressure inside thetool, carrying any dust and debris from the crevice 300 along with theairflow.

FIGS. 18-20 show a further modification to the floor tool in which theamount of air which bleeds into the tool can be manually controlled.FIG. 18 shows a modified form 250′ of the sole plate 250 of the floortool which has previously been described. As before, each side of themain suction channel 255 of the tool has an inlet aperture 290 throughwhich, in use, air can bleed into the suction channel 255 during carpetcleaning mode. In this modified sole plate a valve 295 is fitted on theside of the sole plate. The valve is movable between an open position,as shown in FIG. 19, in which a maximum amount of air can bleed into thesuction channel 255, and a closed position, as shown in FIG. 20, inwhich a lesser amount of air can bleed into the suction channel 255. Thevalve can be manually slid in direction 299 between the two positions. Apair of depressions 296 on the upper face of the sole plate cooperatewith a small projection on the underside of the valve (not shown) toallow the valve to be positively held in each of the two positions. Thesole plate 250′ is further modified from sole plate 250 in that anadditional bleed air inlet 292 is located on the upper face of the soleplate. A similar inlet 292 is positioned on each side of the sole plate.As can be seen in FIGS. 19 and 20, the valve seals the inlet 292 in theclosed position.

In use, a user can set the valves 295 on each side of the sole plate tothe same position (e.g. both valves open) or to different positions(i.e. one valve open, one valve closed), so as to select the amount ofbled air and hence push resistance that they feel happy with. The amountof push resistance will vary between floor coverings and different userswill prefer different amounts of push resistance.

In a further modification the valves 295 can be arranged such that theyoffer a wider range of settings. This can be achieved with an inlet 290which varies in height in the direction 299 and a valve which can bepositioned in a greater number of positions (e.g. three differentpositions.) The valves can be applied to a floor tool, as shown here, orto the cleaning head of an upright vacuum cleaner. In the closedposition, the valve can be arranged to admit a small amount of bled air(as shown in FIG. 20) or no bled air at all.

1. A floor tool for use in vacuum cleaning floor surfaces, comprising: asole plate for engaging with a floor surface, a supporting body for thesole plate, means on the support body comprising a wheel or roller forallowing the body to ride along the floor surface, and an outlet conduitfor coupling to a wand of a vacuum cleaner, wherein the outlet conduitis pivotally mounted to the supporting body about an axis which issubstantially over the sole plate.
 2. A floor tool according to claim 1,wherein the sole plate is pivotally mounted to the supporting body, andthe outlet conduit is pivotally mounted to the supporting body about anaxis which is substantially coincident with the pivotal axis of the soleplate.
 3. A floor tool according to claim 2, wherein the sole plate ispivotally mounted to the supporting body at a position which lies over asuction channel of the sole plate.
 4. A floor tool according to claim 2or 3, wherein the sole plate comprises a suction channel formed thereinand wherein the suction channel has transversely extending sides thateach meet a lower face of the sole plate to define first and secondworking edges which are suitable for agitating the floor surface.
 5. Afloor tool according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the outlet conduitcomprises an outlet connector for connecting to a wand of a vacuumcleaner and a connecting arm for connecting the outlet connector to thesupporting body, a first end of the connecting arm being pivotallyconnected to the outlet connector and the second end of the connectingarm being pivotally connected to the supporting body.
 6. A floor toolaccording to claim 5, wherein the connecting arm comprises a rigidmember which provides mechanical connection between the outlet connectorand the supporting body and wherein the floor tool further comprises aflexible hose for carrying fluid flow between a suction outlet of thesole plate and the outlet connector.
 7. A floor tool according to claim5, wherein the connecting arm is configured to carry fluid flow betweena suction outlet of the sole plate and the outlet connector.
 8. A floortool according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising a skirt for ridingalong the floor surface during hard floor cleaning, and wherein the soleplate is movable between a working position, in which the sole plate islower than the skirt and a stored position in which the sole plate ishigher than the skirt.
 9. A floor tool according to claim 4, wherein theoutlet conduit comprises an outlet connector for connecting to a wand ofa vacuum cleaner and a connecting arm for connecting the outletconnector to the supporting body, a first end of the connecting armbeing pivotally connected to the outlet connector and the second end ofthe connecting arm being pivotally connected to the supporting body. 10.A floor tool according to claim 5, further comprising a skirt for ridingalong the floor surface during hard floor cleaning, and wherein the soleplate is movable between a working position, in which the sole plate islower than the skirt and a stored position in which the sole plate ishigher than the skirt.
 11. A floor tool for use in vacuum cleaning floorsurfaces, comprising a sole plate for engaging with a floor surface, asupporting body for the sole plate having at least one wheel or rollerconfigured with respect to the supporting body so as to permit the bodyto ride along the floor surface, and an outlet conduit for coupling to awand of a vacuum cleaner, wherein the outlet conduit is pivotallymounted to the supporting body about an axis which is substantially overthe sole plate.